


Loveless Prison

by SupercatFanatic



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Fluff, Happy Ending, Lillian is a bitch, Original Characters - Freeform, Slightly OOC Lena, SuperCorp, Young Lena Luthor, meeting AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-30 23:30:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17838089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SupercatFanatic/pseuds/SupercatFanatic
Summary: Kara gets stuck in a storm and gets offered shelter at the Luthor's mansion. There, she meets Lena and it's like she has met her soulmate. However, there's a sadness inhabiting the brunette and Kara knows that Lillian and Lex are hiding something...ORKara meets Lena who's imprisoned by her own mother and saves her.





	Loveless Prison

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! 
> 
> I've had this written for months but never posted it because it's long and I don't have a beta, so I'm not so sure about my English in this. Feel free to tell me if there are mistakes! 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: There's mention of abuse from Lillian and Lex towards Lena, and controlled eating habits (though this is light, I don't want anyone to be bothered by it). 
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this!

Working for Cat Grant was exhausting, Kara had known, even before she started, that the woman was demanding. What Kara didn’t expect though, was how close she would get to the Queen of All Media. They weren’t friends per say, but Cat definitely was Kara’s mentor and was careful to always teach her new things. Her last lesson had been very easy to understand: everyone deserves a break. Working sixty hours a week was manageable for Kara, but after a year without vacation, she was less efficient and got frustrated very easily. And that was how Cat had sent her away for a week of vacation. She was meeting Alex, Winn and James at a camping resort outside National City. She was excited, she hadn’t had much quality time with them in forever and she missed them.  
Her bags had been packed early this morning, and she was singing along to "A Million Dreams" from the Greatest Showman. She loved driving on her own, she could listen to whatever she wanted without anyone complaining. However, with the rain pouring and the dark weather reducing her line of vision she wished she wasn’t alone. The wind was taking her car off course and she had to stop on the side of the road. To complete the picture, she was in the middle of the woods, with no way of knowing where the nearest town was… Kara sighed, there was only one thing to do, waiting for it to go away. She listened to her music, playing on her phone but quickly stopping to preserve the battery. She was bored, she had no book to entertain herself. An hour passed, then another. She was getting cold, and hungry, and the rain wasn’t stopping. It was even worse than before. Her windshield was covered in leaves, she couldn’t see through anymore because of the rain and her small car was shaking as the wind blew stronger and stronger. She had just hit her head on the wheel in despair when she saw two lights coming from behind her car. She opened her window when the car stopped at her level and a kind looking man smiled at her from behind the wheel. 

"Are you okay, Miss?"

Kara shook her head, wincing from the cold. 

"I can’t see anything in this storm and I don’t know where the next town is…"

The man turned his head as he listened to something someone was telling him then smiled again.

"My Mistess’ castle is a bit further away, if you wish you could follow us there, you’d be warm and fed until it calms down."

Kara wasn’t one to impose, but she was really cold and started to be afraid of what would happen if she stayed here.

"Thank you very much, can you go slowly? I’m not used to drive in this weather…"

He nodded patiently and closed the window. They drove for ten minutes before they passed a gigantic metal gate marking the entrance of the property. At any other time, Kara would have been in awe but right now, she was focused on not crashing her car. She stopped behind the black car and grabbed her purse before going out. She followed behind the man, he was holding an umbrella to protect a woman from the rain. Kara could only see her back, she saw long black hair, clashing with the deep red coat she was wearing. Her legs were covered in dark jeans that ended with a pair of high heels.

When Kara reached the door she couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her lips. The vast entry was decorated with dark wood and green plants, a massive staircase was in the middle and Kara wondered if she hadn’t just entered a museum. There wasn’t any painting but big black and white pictures, one of a man in his forties and one of a woman in her early thirties. Each picture was on one side of the room, above a door. She was about to wonder about what was behind when she heard a chuckle. She only then remembered that she wasn’t alone and blushed. 

"I’m sorry, I’m Kara, thank you for letting me stay into your home!"

Kara put on her best smile, turning towards the woman. She still had her back to her as she took off her coat. She gave her coat to her driver and took her shoes off. 

"Robert, can you hang that up for me please? And you’re soaked, please take the rest of the day off, I don’t want you catching a cold.". The man chuckled, shaking his head. 

"You know, I’m the one supposed to take care of you, Miss. And I have to…"

"Robert, please. Elizabeth would kill me if I let you get sick. I’ll take care of our guest. Go."

He smiled and nodded to Kara before going through the left door. The blonde was stunned, the woman’s voice was beautiful and sounded very kind. She couldn’t have expected the very young looking face that smiled at her when the dark-haired woman turned towards her.

"I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier. I’m Lena Luthor and you are in my family’s residence."

Kara smiled shyly, very taken by the green eyes reading into her. She had a pale face and the deep red on her lips made her smile even more beautiful. 

"Uh, I’m Kara Danvers."

Lena chuckled lightly. "So I heard." 

"Thank you very much for inviting me, I would have probably died in my car…"

Lena waved it off, motioning for Kara to follow her. "Wait until you’ve met my mother, you’ll probably want to go back to your car."

Kara frowned, if Lena’s mother was as nice as her daughter, why would she want to leave? 

They walked up the stairs, Kara’s shoes making noise and leaving water behind her. "I’m so sorry about this, I’ll clean and…"

"Don’t worry about it, I’ll have Daniel clean everything. Right now you just have to worry about getting warm."

They entered a room on the second floor, a bedroom. It was huge, probably the size of Kara’s apartment. It had a bathroom attached to it and Lena took two towels out of the closet and gave them to her guest. 

"Here, take a shower, or a bath if you wish. Leave your clothes in the basket, I’ll have them dried. I’ll leave some clothes on the bed for when you’re done."

Kara nodded along, so thankful for the hot shower that was to come. 

"When you feel comfortable enough you can join me in the living-room."

"The living-room?"

"Oh yes, sorry. It was the door on the right of the entry hall?"

Kara smiled thankfully. "Sure, I’ll be quick!"

Lena shook her head. "No, please. Take all the time you want."

With one last smile, the brunette closed the door and left Kara to her shower. 

Kara had never appreciated a shower so much. After three hours in the cold, the warm water on her skin massaging her stiff muscles felt heavenly. She tried to be quick, but she lost track of time, the shower had way too many options and she wanted to try them all.  
She eventually got out, finding clothes on the bed as promised. She put on the pair of grey jeans and a black tee-shirt. A MIT hoodie was also there and Kara welcomed the warmth it provided. She knew she had to go downstairs but Alex would be worried sick if she didn’t call her. The phone barely rang once when a very distressed Alex picked up. 

_"Oh god, Kar’, are you alright? »_

Kara chuckled, quick to reassure her big sister. 

"I’m fine, Alex. I’m sorry I didn’t call before, there was no signal in the car."

She could hear the relieved sigh coming from the other end of the phone. 

_"Are you out of the storm? »_

"Kind of, a lady invited me into her… castle or whatever, until the storm goes away."

She could almost hear Alex’s frown through the phone. 

"She is really nice, don’t worry. I actually have to go down and meet her, I’ll keep you updated on when I can leave, alright?"

_"Okay, be careful sis’, I love you."_

"Love you too, say hi to the guys for me!"

Kara hang up and put her phone in her back pocket. The jeans were tight, probably Lena’s, and she knew she would soon need to get her own clothes if she didn’t want to stretch them. She noticed a pair of slippers by the door and put them on. As she walked down the hall, she noticed how dark the decoration was. There wasn’t much light and everything looked like it wasn’t actually inhabited. It was cold, and impersonal, very different from what Kara saw in Lena. She stored the information for later and walked downstairs, knocking lightly on the imposing wooden door. An elderly woman opened with a large smile. She stepped aside to let Kara in and she couldn’t help but gasp as she took in the new room. It was basked in warm light, part of it coming from the fireplace in front of which Lena stood. A flat screen was on the wall with three couches around it. 

"Are you feeling better?"

Kara smiled and nodded, thanking Lena profusely as she kept looking around the room. A huge colorful painting was on the opposite side of the room and Kara walked up to it immediately. She was trembling. 

"It’s… Water Lillies, the Monet painting… How? I thought it was in Paris…"

Lena came closer, smiling brightly as she looked at the painting with her guest. 

"You know your art. It’s the last birthday gift my father got me, a bit ostentatious in my opinion, but beautiful nonetheless."

Kara wasn’t fond of privately owning such famous art, she was convinced such incredible pieces should be available for everyone to see, but seeing it up close was amazing. 

"I never thought I would get to see it in real life. I wrote a thesis on this painting."

Lena turned to Kara, finally noticing how she looked in her clothes. Her jeans were tight, showing off her toned legs and butt. She almost regretted lending her hoodie to the blonde, curious about her arms and if they were as toned as the rest of her body. She shook her head, stopping herself from going there. 

"You studied arts?"

"I minored in arts yeah, but I actually majored in journalism."

Lena nodded, going back to the fireplace. She was about to talk when the woman who opened the door coughed. Lena looked at her with worry. "Claire, you should get some rest. Your cold is not going away…"

The woman shook her head. "It’s barely been three days and it’s almost my day off anyway."

Lena sighed. "Can you at least promise me not to go outside until then? I’m sure Elizabeth wouldn’t mind getting the wine tonight."

"When will you stop acting like a mother towards the domestics?"

Kara turned her head towards the cold voice that had just cut the conversation. An older woman, the one from the photography in the hall, walked to the middle of the room. Her heels made a loud noise on the wooden floor and she was wearing a long red pencil skirt with a dark shirt. She was ridiculously tall and would be as beautiful as her daughter if it wasn’t for the cold and hard face.  
She heard the door closing and noticed the departure of Claire. Kara braced herself, putting on a smile as she introduced herself. 

"Mrs. Luthor, I’m Kara Danvers. Thank you for letting me stay here."

The woman nodded curtly. "Well, my daughter brought you here, I didn’t have much of a choice."

"Mother…"

The woman cut her off with a raised hand. "You work at CatCo, don’t you?"

"Yes but how…"

Lillian glared at Lena, not interested in what her guest had to say. "You know how much I dislike journalists, Lena. What were you thinking?"

Lena rolled her eyes at her mother. "I didn’t know she was a journalist, and even if I did, I couldn’t leave her to die on the side of the road!"

Lillian scoffed, turning around as she walked to the door she arrived from. "Just keep her out of my hair."

"Gladly."

As she walked out, Lena sighed, motioning for Kara to come closer. They both sat on the couch, Kara fidgeting and playing with her fingers nervously. 

"I’m very sorry about my mother, she was born with a broomstick up her ass."

Kara was so shocked by Lena’s bluntness that she bursted out laughing, her nerves finally breaking down. Lena was smiling too, and Kara decided that she really liked her smile. Lena looked at the clock and noticed it was almost three in the afternoon. 

"Oh god, I just realized you probably haven’t eaten yet… You must be starving!"

Kara was about to say she was fine but her stomach betrayed her by growling loudly. The blonde blushed, embarrassed, but relaxed immediately when she heard Lena chuckling. 

"I’ll take that as a yes. Come on, we’ll raid the kitchen together."

Kara nodded, following Lena silently through the halls, getting lost in the numbers of doors. The kitchen was huge and four people were chatting there. They stopped when Lena entered but smiled when they recognized her. 

"Miss Lena! Can we help you?"

"Could you fix a plate for Miss Danvers, please? She didn’t have lunch yet."

Claire smiled brightly and took out a plate to fill it with some vegetables. "Do you eat meat, Miss Danvers?"

"Please, call me Kara. And yes to the meat."

She noticed that Lena was chatting with the three other persons. She recognized Robert, who was no longer wearing a suit but sweatpants and a tee-shirt. He had his arm around a woman’s waist who Kara assumed was Elizabeth and the other was probably Daniel. Lena saw her staring and introduced her, she was happy to see she had guessed right on everyone’s name. 

"Do you mind eating here, Miss Danvers? I don’t like the dining room much…"

Kara shook her head and reminded Lena to call her Kara. She noticed that Lena seemed more relaxed here than anywhere else in the manor so far. She hadn’t talked much with Lena yet but she felt like they would get along well.  
Claire put a plate on the table in front of her and a piece of chocolate cake in front of Lena.

"Claire, you know I’m not allowed snacks between meals…" 

"But you can’t let Miss Kara eat alone!"

Kara could see that Lena really wanted the dessert. "Thank you very much, Claire. It would be embarrassing to eat alone…"

Lena shrugged and dug in her cake, missing the "thank you" that Claire mouthed to Kara and the wink that the blonde sent back.  
The food was delicious and Kara shyly asked for a second plate and a piece of cake. The meal was nice, everyone was chatting lightly while Kara listened to them. 

"So, Miss Kara, what do you do for a living?"

She was chewing on her food and swallowed quickly to answer, coughing and blushing. "I work at CatCo Worldwide Media."

Elizabeth snorted. "No wonder the dragon is in such a bad mood, Lena you brought a journalist!"

Lena rolled her eyes, something she seemed to be doing a lot. "Mother is always in a bad mood."

"Actually, I’m not a journalist."

Lena frowned, turning to Kara who kept talking. "I’m Cat Grant’s assistant, been so for a year. So really, your mother shouldn’t be worried."

The brunette nodded, smiling back at the goofy blonde in front of her. "I’m sure you’ll be a great journalist one day."

"Thanks…"

Kara was blushing, something that had happened quite often already around Lena. She was glad when Robert changed the subject and she could go back to listening. Less than ten minutes later, her plate was taken away and Lena stood up, letting the domestics go back to their work.  
They went back to the living room where Lena turned the TV on but put it on mute. They were talking about the storm but there was no news yet. As they sat on the couch, Lena sighed. 

"I’m sorry I made you eat in the kitchen, that was completely inappropriate."

"Why do you apologize? I had a good time. They are all amazing."

"My mother hates it when I eat there."

"Your mother doesn’t seem to like much anyway."

Lena snorted. "Understatement of the year…"

Kara saw the sadness in Lena’s eyes and changed the subject. "You seem very close to Claire and the others." Lena nodded, smiling softly.

"They are the only good thing here. Claire has known me almost all my life, she’s been working for the Luthor for more than forty years." Kara frowned, the maths didn’t fit but she decided to let it go for now. "Elizabeth has been here for ten years and Robert arrived three years ago, right after my father’s passing."

"I’m sorry."

"Thank you…" 

She took a few seconds and kept going. "Daniel arrived a few months ago and he is mostly quiet but he’s very kind to Claire."

Kara nodded, smiling softly. She was about to ask another question when Lena unmuted the TV. 

_"-overflowing. The roads are blocked on the east side of the State and it’s strongly advised to stay inside and not to drive under this weather. The rain hasn’t stopped yet so there is no possible intervention to clear the roads."_

Lena muted the TV again as she heard Kara sigh next to her. "Here goes my vacation…" 

"I’m sorry Kara, I think you’ll have to stay the night…"

"Are you sure it’s no trouble? Your mother…"

"Won’t say anything don’t worry." Kara nodded, trusting Lena on this. 

"I’m gonna need my bag from my car then, I better go and get it now before it gets dark."

A few minutes later, Kara was putting her bag down in the room where she had showered. She called for Lena and got an answer coming from upstairs. The blonde walked up and entered the third floor for the first time. It was a copy of the second floor with less doors, there were only four of them instead of the eight at the second floor. 

"Lena?"

"First door on the left, come in!"

Kara entered the room and it was like stepping into a whole other universe. The ceiling was painted in a dark blue, almost black, with a touch of pink and purple with white dots all over. It was a gorgeous starry night and Kara was in awe. There was a library in the corner and a desk with papers and computer parts scattered all over it. The bed was made with dark grey sheets and four pillows. Lena’s closet took a big part of the room, but there was still enough space for a far more comfy couch than the one in the living-room and a big screen with an old Gamecube and a DVD player.  
Lena was sitting on her couch, with a book in her hands and a pair of glasses on her nose. She looked adorable. 

"Hey Kara, I didn’t know if you would want some time alone."

The blonde shook her head, smiling softly. "No, I like spending time with you. Though it’s fine if you want to be alone, because, you weren’t supposed to have company and I keep following you around and all…"

Lena chuckled, Kara was cute when she rambled. "Don’t worry about that, it’s refreshing to have someone to talk to."

Again, there was sadness in the green eyes but Kara didn’t want to push Lena to talk about it, they were still basically strangers after all. 

"Do you happen to have an iPhone charger? I need to update my sister…"

"Of course, here."

Kara plugged her phone and waited for it to start again. "Do you mind if I call her here?" 

"Not at all, do you want me to go out?"

The blonde shook her head, smiling. "It won’t take long."

She dialed the number and once again, her sister picked up immediately.

_"Hey Kar’, how’s it going?"_

"The rain hasn’t stopped yet and the roads are blocked so I’ll have to stay the night."

_"Shit, that sucks. »_

Kara shrugged, she was content with getting to know Lena, she felt drawn to her in a way she couldn’t explain.

"Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. How’s it at the camping?"

_"We’ve been evacuated, we’re in the city now. I’ll have to go and help tonight though, some houses have been flooded and they need doctors and all… »_

Kara was frowning. 

 "Promise me you’ll be careful?"

_"I always am! »_

Alex was teasing but she could hear that Kara was really worried. 

_"Kar’, don’t worry, I’ll be helping in a safe zone since I’m not on duty. »_

"Okay… I’ve got to go but I’ll call you tomorrow."

_"Sure sis’, love you! »_

"Love you too!"

They hang up and Kara turned to look at Lena. The brunette was deep in her book, trying to give Kara some privacy. She only put it down when Kara stopped talking. 

"You seem very close to your sister."

The blonde smiled softly, remembering how hard it was at first, living with Alex. 

"It hasn’t always been like that. She hated me when the Danvers adopted me."

If Lena was surprised by the fact, she didn’t show it. She just smiled softy at the blonde.

"How old were you?"

"Thirteen, and you?"

Lena’s eyes opened wide. 

"How did you know?"

Kara chuckled lightly. "You said Claire had been working here for forty years and yet she has known you ‘almost’ all your life. It was either adoption or you are much older than you look."

Lena chuckled. "Indeed, I was four when my father brought me here."

Kara didn’t know what to say so she just let Lena talk.

"Lillian didn’t really like it, or me, for that matters. My father loved me in his own way, too much for her liking. He was supposed to give his love to my brother…"

Kara frowned, if Lena’s brother was here, he was discreet. 

"I’m sorry, I’m oversharing. How was it, with your sister…?"

"Alex. Complicated at first. She used to be an only child and suddenly she had to take care of me. I came with a lot of baggages from the loss of my family… But then my adoptive father died, a year after I arrived, we only had each other, it brought us closer."

Lena put her hand on Kara’s. "I’m sorry, Kara."

Kara shivered at the contact. Lena’s skin was so warm against hers, and so smooth. And she was surprised at how easy it was to share with Lena. Looking at the brunette, Kara could see that Lena was getting overwhelmed.  
Lena smiled at her, noticing that her hand was still holding Kara’s. She took it back, missing the contact immediately. 

"I have a paper to finish for tomorrow, but you can stay here if you want. Make yourself at home, you can use the TV too."

The blonde nodded, going to the library. There were hundreds of books, going from poetry to fantasy, theatre and thrillers. Kara grabbed a book from Ray Bradbury that she had been wanting to read for a while. She sat on the couch with her book. Despite looking at the words she couldn’t read. She was too distracted by Lena. The girl had her back to her and had tied her hair in a messy bun. She still had her glasses on and the only sound in the room was Lena typing on her computer and flipping through her books and notebook. Just like that, Kara was distracted, she could only stare at Lena, she knew it was creepy but she couldn’t help it. There was something about her, she had this aura… so young who has seen so much. So much kindness and sadness at the same time. And she was so pretty… Lena caught her staring, smirking at her, and made Kara blush and apologize quickly. She managed to read until Lena was finished two hours later and just a few minutes before dinner. 

Lena stood up and stretched, the hem of her shirt rising and showing her lower belly. Kara looked away, feeling like she was intruding, but still looked when Lena undid her bun and passed her hands through her hair. She smiled at Kara tiredly. 

"Ready to face the dragon again?"

"To get food I would handle a thousand dragons!"

Lena chuckled. "You’ll meet my dear brother too, if he comes out of his cave."

"Is he more like you or more like your mother?"

She seemed to think for a second before smiling apologetically. "He is something else entirely. He used to be like my father but he changed after he died. We grew distant after that…"

"Can I ask how your dad died?"

The brunette nodded slowly. "Cancer, it was quick, done in a few weeks."

Lena stood again, aloof to her own feelings of grief, and walked to the door. "You coming?"

Kara snapped up and followed Lena. Right before they passed the door Kara grabbed Lena’s hand. 

"Mmh?"

The blonde smiled softly and Lena relaxed immediately. "I’m sorry about all that."

Lena nodded, her eyes shining. She didn’t usually get emotional over her father but with the kindness in Kara’s eyes, she got overwhelmed again. 

"Let’s go, mother hates when I’m late for dinner."

For some reason, Lena didn’t let go of Kara’s hand and neither did Kara. It’s only when Lena heard her mother’s voice through the door that Lena quickly took back her hand, feeling stupid for missing the comfort of the touch from someone she had just met. She breathed deeply before putting on a fake smile to open the door. 

"Finally, we’ve been waiting forever."

"It’s five past seven, mother."

Kara followed Lena and sat next to her. She noticed the man sitting across Lena, he was bald, with eyes as green as Lena’s but without this shine of kindness that made hers so beautiful. He was deep in thought and didn’t even react as they entered the room. He only reacted when Elizabeth put wine in his glass and Daniel served him dinner. Everyone was silent and Kara was wondering if it was too rude to go and eat in the kitchen again. She was refusing wine when she noticed the man staring at her. She smiled at him. 

"I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Kara Danvers, I was stuck in the storm, Lena was kind enough to offer me shelter."

He nodded. "I’m Lex, her older brother. I’m working on something, that’s why I’m not very talkative…"

Lena snorted and Lex glared at her but Kara ignored them. "What are you working on? Are you a writer?"

Lex chuckled and shook her head. He was about to answer when Lillian stopped him. 

"Enough, Lex. Miss Danvers here is a journalist."

"Actually…."

"What? Lena, you brought a journalist here?"

Lena put her fork down and glared at him. "Stop it, Lex. I can bring home whomever I want. And what’s with you and mother not wanting journalists here? It’s like you have something to hide." 

She heard the slap before she felt it. She could feel tears coming up, not from the pain, she had had worse, but from the humiliation. Of getting slapped like a misbehaving child and in front of Kara. 

« Be careful with what you’re saying, Lena. You don’t get to talk to us like that. »

Lillian’s voice was strangely calm, like everything was normal. Lena was about to cry so she excused herself and got up. 

"If you leave this room don’t expect dinner if you come back down later, Lena."

Lena didn’t answer, she just left the room, tears already running down her cheeks. To say that Kara was shocked was an understatement. She looked at Lex and Lillian who resumed their dinner like nothing happened. She could see Elizabeth radiating with anger and she understood that this probably often happened. 

"Thank you for dinner, but I’m going to have to excuse myself."

She knew she had taken the right decision when she saw the relief on Elizabeth’s face. She stood and ran up the stairs after Lena. She stood in front of Lena’s bedroom door, she could hear her crying and felt a wave of anger towards Lillian and Lex. She knocked on the door and heard more sniffling and Lena moving around. When she opened the door, her eyes were red and puffy and she was trying to hide it but she failed miserably. Kara entered the room after Lena who sat on her couch. 

"I’m sorry you had to see that, I’m a mess…"

"You shouldn’t be apologizing, this was uncalled for and totally inappropriate. She shouldn’t hit you like that, that…"

Lena put her hand on Kara’s and pulled her to sit next to her.

"Lena… Why do you stay here?"

The brunette snorted, her free hand wiping away the remaining tears from her face.

"You think I chose to stay here?"

Kara frowned, lacing her fingers with Lena’s. 

"What do you mean?"

"My mother…"

Lena sighed and Kara pulled her against her, opening her arms so Lena could settle into them. Weirdly, she complied, welcoming the warmth and comfort Kara offered her. With her head on Kara’s chest, she started talking again.

"I tried to leave once, when I was eighteen. Took my clothes, my favorite book and the car keys from the stupid Porsche I got for my sixteenth birthday. I hadn’t told my mother, of course, and my brother wasn’t really part of my life anymore. I only told Claire. But somehow she knew. She was waiting for me in the garage." 

Kara squeezed her hand to give her courage and passed her other hand through the long black hair. Lena hummed at the touch and leaned deeper into Kara.

"She took my keys and told me that if I ever tried to leave again she would make sure no University, no job, would ever accept me, even if it was as a cashier at McDonald’s… I don’t have any money that my mother doesn’t have control over. And I’m so scared, Kara… that I’m going to be stuck here forever, that my diploma will never be used, that I’ll never fall in love…"

She stopped at that, feeling ridiculous as she started crying again. She was pathetic but Kara held her. She didn’t judge, she was just comforting her. They stayed like that for an hour, maybe more, Lena had fallen asleep at one point but Kara kept playing with her hair. She wished she could do more the take her away from her abusive mother and cold brother. Eventually, Kara fell asleep too, the exhaustion of the day catching up.

***

Thunder. Noise. Explosion. Light. Dark. Overwhelmed. Kara was panicking. She didn’t know where she was, the mattress was unfamiliar and there was a weight on her chest that wasn’t supposed to be here. She started shaking, trying to get free. The weight lifted and she heard a noise coming from it. No, her. She heard a voice, the person was talking to her but the thunder was louder, and Kara couldn’t breathe. She was stuck, trapped in her own mind and body. She tried to remember what Alex told her to do when it happened but she couldn’t. 

"A-Alex…"

Lena recognized the signs of a panic attack for she got several when she was younger. She took Kara’s phone, happy to see that there wasn’t any code on it. She immediately called Alex who picked up immediately. 

_"Kara, are you okay?"_

"It’s not Kara, she’s having a panic attack and I don’t know what to do…"

_"Is there thunder where you are?"_

"What… Yes, yes there is."

_"Put the phone on speaker next to her and close the curtains."_

Lena wondered briefly what job Alex did to be so commanding. She did as she was told and heard Alex work Kara through breathing exercises. It took ten minutes for Kara’s breathing to even out, and ten more for her to be able to move. Once that was done, she looked around, searching for Lena who was sitting on the floor, looking worried and distressed. She managed a small smile when her eyes found Lena’s. 

"Welcome back, Kara."

Kara held out her hand for Lena to take, she was too exhausted to care about what it meant.

"Al’, you’re still here?"

_"Of course, how are you feeling?"_

"Exhausted. Thank you…"

Alex chuckled. 

_"You should thank the girl who called me…"_

"Lena."

_"Yeah, she saved your ass twice today."_

Kara smiled dreamily. 

"She did… Alex, I think I’m good now. I’ll call you in the morning."

_"You do that. Try and get some sleep. I love you sis’, you did great tonight."_

"I love you too, Al’."

When she hang up, Lena was still holding her hand. 

"I’m sorry, I put you through this. Thank you for calling Alex. She’s pretty much the only one who can calm me."

Lena waved it off and let go of Kara’s hand. 

"Don’t go, please…"

"I’m just getting us some water, wait a second."

Kara sat down and drank the glass of water that Lena gave her. They stayed silent for a while but the tiredness quickly took over. Lena yawned and Kara realized it was three in the morning.

"I should let you go to sleep, I’ve kept you awake long enough. I’ll go back to my room."

Lena took her hand and stopped. 

"You don’t think I’m leaving you alone after this, do you?"

"I’ll just annoy you, I’m not going back to sleep."

Lena frowned. 

"Why, you just told Alex you were exhausted…"

Kara blushed and looked at her hands.

"I don’t have my noise cancelling earphones so the thunder… Nevermind, good night."

Lena ruffled through her stuff and took out a pair of earphones.

"I have a pair if you want. But please, stay here? I won’t be able to sleep if I worry for you…"

Kara nodded, taking the earphones and the pj’s Lena gave her. Hers were just downstairs but it was somehow comforting to be surrounded by Lena’s scent. The blonde didn’t even have the force to fight Lena when she took her to bed with her, lying on the other side. 

"Good night, Kara."

"‘Night, Lena."

***

When Kara woke up a few hours later, her earphones had fallen out and were lost in the sheets. The thunder had stopped and Lena had shifted in her sleep, she was resting on Kara’s chest, her arm around her waist and snoring softly. It was the cutest thing Kara ever seen and she wished it would last forever. But Lena started stirring, fisting Kara’s tee-shirt to bring her loser to her. The blonde chuckled, using one hand to draw patterns on the back of Lena’s hand and the other to pass through the dark hair which was quickly becoming her favorite thing to do. It was very domestic to be for two persons who met less than twenty four hours ago, but she couldn’t care less.

"Good morning, Kara."

Lena’s eyes were still closed, she was mumbling sleepily and it made Kara smile. 

"Hi. Did you sleep well?"

Lena nodded against her, almost feeling embarrassed by how much she loved the closeness with Kara. She had a feeling that Kara loved it too so she didn’t move. 

"Did the earphones worked?"

"Yeah, I slept through it."

"I’m glad. If you want we could have breakfast here? Claire can take it up so we don’t run into mother or Lex? We don’t have to though, only if you want."

Kara smiled even brighter at that. 

"I would love to. Though don’t you think she would assume that… you know? Not that I have a problem with that, it’s just that I don’t want to cause…"

"Kara?"

"Yeah?"

"Hush."

The blonde closed her mouth blushing, making Lena chuckle. 

"Claire knows better. And even if she didn’t, I wouldn’t mind."

She sat up and winked at Kara before catching the phone on her bedside table. 

"Good morning Claire, can you make two breakfast trays and have them sent to my bedroom? Complete, we didn’t eat yesterday evening. Thank you."

Kara chuckled. 

"This is so cool, I wish I could have food brought to me too!"

Lena chuckled before going to the bathroom, leaving Kara alone for a few minutes. She used the time to text Alex to tell her she was okay and opened the door when Robert knocked. 

"Good morning Robert. I was expecting Claire."

"Good morning Miss Kara. I don’t really like Claire carrying the trays upstairs by herself… Don’t tell her I said that though. I hope it’s no trouble?"

Lena got out of the bathroom at the same time and immediately asked if he was alright. He answered positively and put their breakfast on the unmade bed. He smiled at them and went back to the kitchen. 

"Breakfast is served!"

Kara jumped on the bed excitedly, amazed by everything on the tray. She was famished and started digging in, eating her toast while Lena laughed at her antics. She had never seen someone enjoy food so much. 

"Don’t eat too quickly, you’ll get sick."

Kara shook her head and drank her orange juice. 

"You don’t eat much… are you okay?"

Lena smiled shyly. 

"Mother says I’ve put on some weight so I’m being careful."

Kara frowned.

"Do you agree?"

Lena’s shrug told Kara everything and she smiled softly. 

"Then you eat. You’re gorgeous, you need to preserve this beautiful body of yours."

Lena blushed but didn’t protest, it was difficult to say no to Kara. She ate her toasts and her waffles. Kara was fresh air during a heat wave, refreshing, saving her, a lifeline in the ocean. She was getting addicted and attached, and even though it scared her, she decided to let it happen. Something good was finally happening, and she wouldn’t jeopardize it.  
Half an hour later, they were done and full. Kara was laying down, Lena once again against her. She was tracing patterns on her back, lost in thoughts.

"Lena?"

"Mmh?"

Lena was half asleep, Kara’s hands doing wonders on her. 

"I don’t think I’ve asked you before. What do you study?"

The brunette chuckled. 

"Bioengineering and computer sciences. I already have a marketing and management degree though."

"What? How old are you?"

"Nineteen, turning twenty in a month. But you know, there’s nothing much to do here apart from studying…"

Kara was looking at her with amazement. 

"You’re a genius, wow."

Lena blushed. She was never complimented in this household. Kara had given her more compliments in a day than she had received in a lifetime.

"How about we shower and then watch a movie? We’ll skip lunch, get snacks instead?"

Kara grinned. 

"I like how you think!"

If heart eyes were physically possible, Kara would have given them to Lena. Kara went to her room, picking some clothes before hoping in the shower. She had never been so quick her entire life, too excited to spend more time with Lena. She put on her favorite pair of jeans and an oversized tee-shirt. After a whole second of reflexion, Kara put back the MIT hoodie that Lena gave her. She took her phone and called Alex. 

_"Hey Kar’, how are you feeling today?"_

"Great actually. I’m having a nice time with Lena."

Nice wasn’t the word but she wasn’t ready for her sister’s teasing. 

_"So, want to tell me what triggered your attack yesterday night?"_

Kara shrugged. 

"Thunder probably…"

_"Kar’, you’ve been handling thunder for years now…"_

The blonde sighed, she hated that her sister knew her so well.

"Yesterday evening was… heavy. I told Lena that I was adopted and well, you know how it is."

_"You told her already?"_

"Yeah. She’s adopted too and… actually could you do me a huge favor?"

_"Sure, anything."_

"Can you look into the Luthor’s family?"

_"You’re at the Luthor’s? Wow Kar’, this family is the big deal…"_

"Yeah, I figured."

_"Okay, okay. Anything in particular?"_

"First look into the father’s succession, something’s not right. Lena told me he left her nothing but that doesn’t sit well with me."

_"Fine, I should have some news in a few hours. Anything else?"_

"I think that’s it for now. The rain is weaker now, hopefully I’ll be able to leave by tomorrow." _And hopefully I won’t be leaving alone…_

They said their goodbyes and Kara ran upstairs to Lena. She knocked but didn’t get any answer. She entered to check on Lena and saw the brunette, singing in her underwear and her hair in a towel, with her earphones in. She didn’t hear Kara, and it’s only when she turned around to go back to the bathroom that she noticed Kara staring at her. She screamed and tore her earphones out of her ears. 

"God Kara, you scared me! How long have you been standing here?"

Kara couldn’t talk, she was too stunned by Lena in her purple matching underwear. She was gorgeous, the towel on her head had fallen down, her messy wet hair falling on her shoulders…

"Kara?"

Lena was kind of happy of the effect she had on Kara but was starting to feel a little bit self-conscious. 

"Sorry…"

Kara was bright red and was now looking at the ground. 

"You didn’t answer so I got worried."

Lena chuckled and walked to the bathroom to finish getting ready.

"Why don’t you pick a movie and wait for me on the couch?"

Kara nodded and looked through the DVDs, settling on the first Harry Potter, a classic that always made her happy. And she knew it by heart so she would be able to stare at Lena as long as she wanted…

Lena came out a few minutes later, her hair dry and wearing leggings and an oversized tee-shirt. Each time Kara saw Lena, she found her more beautiful. It was getting out of hands, really. The brunette grabbed a blanket and sat on the couch next to Kara who opened her arms to let Lena get in. She threw the blanket on them and hit play, feeling perfectly content and relaxed. She chuckled when Kara mouthed the lines, hummed the music. She was basked in Kara, in her scent. She prayed for it to never end.  
They were halfway through the movie when Kara stopped watching the movie to look at Lena. She looked calm and happy, the sadness in her eyes was almost gone. It took a few minutes for Lena to register that Kara wasn’t reacting to the film anymore. She looked up and saw two piercing blue eyes looking back with such intensity that Lena felt the urge to kiss the blonde. She would probably have done it without the knock on her door.  
Lena sighed and got up to open the door. Claire was standing here with a nice smile on her face. 

"Lunch has been served twenty minutes ago, your mother is asking for you and Miss Kara."

The brunette rolled her eyes.

"We won’t come down, I’m sorry Claire."

The woman waved her off. 

"Don’t worry about it, she was already mad anyway. I’ll get you snacks when she’s back in her office."

Lena smiled and closed the door, returning to the couch where Kara was waiting for her with open arms. She settled back into it, humming when Kara hugged her just a little bit tighter. 

"What’s on your mind?"

Again, Lena was surprised at how easily Kara could read her. 

"I don’t understand why my mother called for me… or for us. We never have lunch together and we don’t talk after she… after a fight."

The blonde frowned. 

"Does she… slap you often?"

Lena shrugged, averting Kara’s eyes but Kara put her finger under her chin, forcing her to look deep into her eyes.

"Lena, talk to me, please?"

The brunette sighed. 

"It does not happen often, just when I push her too much. She’s actually much worse with words, believe me."

Kara barely had time to open her mouth when Lena stopped her. 

"Please, don’t ask?"

The blonde nodded, kissing the top of Lena’s head softly, now certain of one thing: She would get Lena out of here.  
They resumed the movie silently, both lost in thoughts. Harry, Ron and Hermione had just passed Fluffy when Daniel entered the room with snacks. Popcorn, candies, drinks… Everything to put a smile back on the girls’ faces. They dug in, Kara goofily throwing popcorn in the air and catching it with her mouth. Lena was laughing with her, discovering how fun her life would be if she stayed with Kara.

"Come on, Lena, open your mouth!"

Lena chuckled but played along, sitting cross-legged facing Kara. She missed the first two that Kara threw, they landed on her nose and in her hair. They were both laughing and Kara clapped when Lena caught the third one, chewing on it proudly.

"You did it! You’re the best!"

Lena rolled her eyes, trying to hide her blush. 

"You’re the one that threw it."

"Nah, the talent is yours, promise!"

They were about to keep throwing popcorn when Kara felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She saw it was Alex and smiled apologetically at Lena.

"I have to take this one in my room, I’ll come back in a few minutes."

Lena smiled sadly but nodded, she rose and sat at her dest while Kara left. 

***

"Alex? I’m in my room now. What do you know?"

Kara sat on her bed, frowning as she waited anxiously for Alex to answer. 

_"Alright, I had to get Winn to do some hacking to get infos. Everything is locked away and very well protected…"_

"That doesn’t surprise me.. I’ll get him the Chewie figurine he wanted."

Alex kept going, smiling at Kara’s antics. 

_"About Lionel Luthor’s succession, he actually left a lot to Lena. She got fifty one percents of LuthorCorp’s shares and half of his personal fortune, the other half went to her brother. Lillian got nothing out of him except the manor you’re staying in."_

"But Lena thinks he… Is Lillian hiding everything from Lena? How’s that possible?"

_"Lena is young, she never checked the will herself according to Winn, there’s no way she would have known without Lillian telling her."_

"So you’re telling me that Lena could leave, right? She has money and her mother has no power over her?"

_"Kara, what is happening here?"_

"I can’t explain it to you right now. Did you find anything else? I have a feeling they’re hiding something else…"

_"I couldn’t find much, they barely leave the house. Lex Luthor has not been seen in two years."_

Kara was thinking about Lex working on something, Lillian not wanting to let Kara know… She had to investigate, but she couldn’t do it during the day, and she couldn’t tell Lena. She would want to come with her and Kara couldn’t put her at risk. Not more than she already did at least. Lillian got mad at her daughter because she invited Kara in, Kara considered she had done enough damage. She would have to go at night, and alone.

_"Kara, you’re still here?"_

"Yes, sorry, I was just thinking. Look Alex, could you come and pick us up? I want to get Lena out of here but I don’t know if Lillian is going to let it happen."

_"Kara…"_

"Please, Alex?"

_"I will help you, you know I will. But be careful? I don’t think it’s just money they’re trying to hide."_

"I agree."

She could almost hear Alex’s frown.

_"You have your investigating voice. You stay put, I’ll start an investigation at work but don’t you dare do that by yourself!"_

Kara wasn’t going to listen to her sister and she couldn’t lie to her. 

"I have to go, Alex. Lena is waiting for me. I’ll call you later. Love you!"

Alex sighed in the phone and for a second Kara felt guilty for worrying her sister so much. But she couldn’t just let Lillian get away with whatever she was doing. 

_"I love you too, be careful."_

***

She came back to Lena’s room an hour later to find the girl with her glasses on, working on a computer part or something like that. She had tied her hair and was so focused that she didn’t hear Kara knock and enter the room. Kara walked to her, attracted by Lena’s cuteness. She was right beside her when she spoke. 

"You look adorable with your glasses on."

Lena jumped at Kara’s voice, her hand on her heart to pass the shock. 

"Jesus Kara, you’ve gotta stop scaring me like that."

Kara smiled shyly. 

"I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself."

Lena chuckled.

"My mother hates them, she finds them unladylike, frame’s too thick I think."

"That’s ridiculous, you look gorgeous in them."

Blushing, Lena took off her glasses. She didn’t really know what to say, Kara made her feel so special, she wanted to thank her. 

"Grab a pair of sneakers in my closer, I want to show you something."

***

They walked through several hallways, Lena and Kara holding hands on the way. It had been shy at first, Kara following Lena close, and the brunette making sure she was following her. Eventually, as Kara seemed lost in the hallways Lena decided to just lead her through it, and as soon as her hand touched Kara’s, she hadn’t let go. Smiling, Lena pushed a glass door at the end of the right wing of the manor and pulled Kara inside excitedly. The blonde couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It was like a tropical forest, but inside. Large plants, colorful flowers, even a small pond in the middle, all of it under a glass ceiling. It was still raining but somehow it felt sunnier here, warmer. Might be the temperature and the humidity, or the shy smile on Lena’s face, but everything felt more alive in here. Kara hopped from flower to flower, tugging Lena along, asking her about them, excitedly commenting on how beautiful they looked. Lena laughed with her. They arrived at the pond and Kara saw the fishes and squealed like a child at the zoo. 

"Look Lena, they’re so cute!"

"They’re called Darwin, Edison and Bubble…"

"Let me guess, you named the last one?"

Lena chuckled and nodded.

"Pissed off my mother, totally worth it. We had to take out hers, he was trying to eat the others."

Kara looked at Lena with horror.

"That’s horrible! How’s that even possible?"

Lena shrugged like it was no big deal. Kara went back to look at a gorgeous bird of paradise.

"It’s beautiful, Lena."

Kara didn’t notice Lena staring at her with adoration in her eyes. And as cliché as it sounded, Lena answered: "It really is.".

***

They ended up staying a few hours in the garden, sitting on a bench. It was easy to talk to Lena, the conversation flowed naturally. Lena’s head was resting on her shoulder as Kara threw food at the fishes to see them swallow it quickly. This part of the manor was very different from the others, it looked alive and human. Much more like Lena’s room than the rest of the property.

"Who takes care of all this? Surely Claire can’t do it all."

"No, but she takes care of watering and feeding the fishes. A gardener comes once a week to take care of the rest."

"Your father built it?"

Lena shook her head, smiling. 

"Apparently it was my grand-mother who built it for my father. We spent a lot of time together here. It’s one of the few rooms in which I have good memories…

And just like that, the sadness was back in Lena’s eyes. 

"Your father loved you very much, didn’t he?"

"He didn’t really show it, and I didn’t know any better. So I suppose he did. He used to let me stay in his office while he worked, we listened to jazz and I was free of my mother for a few hours. It was the best that could happen to me."

Kara nodded, she didn’t know what to say but she quickly understood that just holding Lena was enough. So she did, until night time and until it was time for dinner. 

"I’m sorry but I’m afraid it’s time to fight the dragon again…"

Kara snorted, taking Lena’s hand as they walked to the dining room. Kara was about to let go to enter the room but Lena squeezed her hand. 

"Is that okay?"

The blonde nodded, lacing her fingers with Lena once more. She pushed the door to see that only Lillian was sitting at the end of the table. She raised her head and looked quickly at their joined hands. She was about to say something but held back to force a smile. 

"Lena, dear, glad you decided to come… Miss Danvers."

Kara nodded and sat next to Lena. 

"Isn’t Lex joining us for dinner?"

Lillian shook her head.

"He was needed at LuthorCorp, he should be back by tomorrow morning."

Lena nodded and starting eating, Kara doing the same as she stored the information for later. The dinner was awkward and cold, no one was talking and Kara could see that Lena was used to it. She closed in on herself, eating like a zombie. Kara ate quickly, she had a feeling that Lena wanted to be anywhere but here. Dessert came, panacotta. Kara was about to dig in when she noticed that she was the only one to have one. 

"You… don’t eat dessert?"

Lillian smiled tightly. 

"Luthor women need to watch what they eat. Do not worry about us."

Kara frowned, she wondered how many times Lena had gone to bed still hungry. 

"I’m sorry, I don’t like eating alone. Maybe Lena could share with me?"

Lillian didn’t have time to answer, Claire had already put a second spoon on the table and Lena smiled shyly as she dug in with Kara. 

"It was delicious, thank you Claire!"

"You’re welcome, Miss Kara. It’s nice to have someone enjoy food so much!"

Kara chuckled, getting up with Lena who immediately took her hand.

"Lena, hold on, could I speak to you for a moment?"

The brunette nodded at Kara to leave her for a moment. 

"I’ll wait for you in your room?"

Lena smiled at her tightly so Kara left the room hoping that Lena would be fine. Lena watched Kara leave and sighed as she turned towards her mother. 

"What did you want to talk about, mother?"

The woman stood, nursing a glass of scotch. 

"What are you doing with this girl, Lena? Holding hands, sleeping together?"

Lena rolled her eyes. 

"We didn’t sleep together, mother, not in the way you think at least."

Lillian waved her off, taking a sip out of her drink.

"The rain has stopped, Lena. Tomorrow the roads will be cleared again and she will leave you behind. I’m just worried about you."

Lena snorted, turning her back to her mother.

"To be worried you would need to care about me. And if you did you wouldn’t keep me locked in here."

"Watch you mouth, dear."

"Or what? You’re gonna slap me? Nothing new here."

She walked to the door, ready to leave. 

"I’m perfectly aware that Kara will leave tomorrow. Her departure will not affect my studies, you don’t have to worry."

And with that she left the room, well aware of her mother’s eyes on her. She was lying, she was going to be devastated when Kara would leave, but there was nothing she could do about it. 

***

Lena found Kara on the couch, trying to read but obviously distracted. She smiled upon hearing Lena enter the room. 

"Hey, is everything alright?"

"Yes, mother just wanted to make sure my studies were going well."

Kara frowned, Lena was obviously lying. 

"And what did she really say?"

Lena sighed, sitting next to Kara. 

"You’re annoying at knowing when I’m not telling the truth."

Kara smiled apologetically but let Lena continue. 

"She reminded me that you were leaving tomorrow and that I would be all alone again. She told me not to… get attached."

She looked at her hands, fidgeting. 

"But I suppose it’s too late for that."

Kara was about to reassure her, to tell her she would never abandon her. But Lena didn’t let her. 

"Kara… Can you… go back to your room? I think I need to be alone for a while."

The blonde nodded sadly, standing and closing the door behind her, hearing sob coming from Lena. She went to her room, grabbing her shoes as she decided to go and explore the house. If she wanted to free Lena, she had to find what was wrong in the house, even if it meant lying to Lena until Alex arrived.  
She walked aimlessly in the hallways, opening doors but finding most of them locked. She had to be careful, she didn’t want to get caught. She had explored most of the ground floor when she found a small door that was locked. She had an intuition that she had to go there, and the lock was pretty basic. She picked the lock like her sister had taught her and opened the door. Behind was a small staircase going to the basement. Kara checked the hallway, she was alone. She lit her phone lamp and closed the door behind her. She took careful steps until she found an elevator. She stepped inside and it immediately took her deeper under the house. 

"Well, there’s no going back now…"

The metallic doors opened on a large laboratory filled with chemicals, computers and crafting stations. There was a gigantic white board filled with calculus and formulas. Kara snapped a few pictures and kept going. She walked to the end of the lab and saw a huge metallic door with a biometric panel. There was no way she would get inside this room and it made her wonder what was behind. She took a few more pictures and decided to go back to her room, there was nothing more she could do tonight. 

***

She entered her room, finding Lena waiting for her on the bed. 

"Lena? What… What are you doing here?"

Lena was looking at her with red eyes, Kara wanted to reach for her but remembered that Lena had asked for space.

"I thought you were gone…"

Kara walked to Lena and the brunette immediately reached for her hand. 

"I thought you were mad at me and left without saying goodbye."

The blonde kneeled in front of Lena, taking both hands in hers. 

"Lena, I want you to listen to me, very carefully."

Lena looked deep into the blue eyes and saw how serious Kara was. 

"I am not leaving this place without you. You’ll never be alone in this house ever again."

Lena was sobbing, her tears falling on their joined hands. 

"How Kara, my mother…"

"Has been lying to you."

She told Lena everything she knew about the succession and held Lena as she took in the betrayal of her mother and possibly her brother. She knew she wasn’t loved, but this was a whole new level. Her mother had trapped her here out of fear… And Kara was ready to help her, despite barely knowing her, despite risking everything. She had stopped crying, there was nothing left in her but Kara’s warmth. She started to realize that she was free. She was going to leave this manor and every bad memories with it.

"Lena, I have some questions if you’re up to it?"

Lena nodded weakly. 

"I’ve been exploring and I’ve found a laboratory in the basement…"

"It’s Lex’s, he develops products for LuthorCorp there, I’m not allowed to go there. Why?"

"I think your mother and your brother have something to hide. It’s just that the way they reacted to my presence…"

Lena totally agreed with Kara. 

"What can I do?"

Kara showed her the pictures she took and Lena explained to her that this was a kind of medicament or drug that she had never seen before. When she saw the panel in front of the blocked door she frowned. 

"This is not a biometric panel, it’s a DNA recognition panel, produced by our company…"

"There’s no way we’ll be able to open it…"

"Actually… Lionel was my biological father so I have some DNA in common with Lex…"

Kara seemed to think for a second. 

"We could try it while your brother is away. Are you sure you want to do it?"

Lena was positive, she took Kara’s hand and together, they went back to the lab.

***

Lena was in front of the panel, Kara at her side. She put her hand on the screen and was almost surprised when it worked. The blonde squealed as they entered. She took some pictures and walked carefully. At first, it looked like the first part of the lab. But as they advanced they started to see rooms…

"Are these… cells?"

Kara walked to where Lena was standing and gasped. People, there were people in cages, with I.V.s in their arms. They looked ill and weak, their skin almost transparent. Kara entered the cell, touching the hand of the woman inside. 

"Can you hear me?"

She got no response. 

"Kara…"

Lena was looking at the charts. Lex had tried more than ten experimental treatments. There was no name on the chart, just "Number 32". She was the thirty second person to go through this. 

"He’s experimenting on them… Kara, it’s awful… We have to save them."

"I know, I… I need to call Alex. She’ll send help."

Kara took her phone out and dialed her sister’s number, holding Lena against her. 

"Alex! You need to send a med team and several agents here, there’s a lab and people in danger and…"

_"Kara, calm down…"_

"I can’t, he’s experimenting on people and… please, send someone."

_"Okay, I’m coming right now, you and Lena need to get out of here. You take the car and wait outside the property. You need to stay safe."_

"But I have to help them, I…"

_"There’s nothing you can do for them now, but I need you safe."_

"Alright… just please… hurry."

Kara hung up and took Lena’s hand. She pulled her along, running up the stairs. She needed to get Lena to a safe place. 

"Kara…"

"You’re going to wait in my car until Alex arrives, I will wait for them here, I need to make sure they’re gonna be okay."

Lena stopped her, she was not about to leave Kara alone. 

"There’s no way I’m letting you go back there on your own! What if Lex comes back or if my mother finds you?"

She heard a chuckle coming from the top of the stairs and saw Lillian pointing a gun at them. 

"Too late."

Kara hid Lena behind her to shield her from any potential bullets. It made Lillian smirk with cruelty as she waved the gun to the bottom of the stairs.

"Come on, I know where I’m going to keep you until Lex comes back."

They went down and got back to the secret part of the laboratory. Lillian made them enter in a cell. Lena was first, then Kara. Just as she passed the door, Lillian gave her a hit on the head with her gun. The blonde fell to her knees as Lena yelled at her to stop. 

"Stop mother! Please leave her alone!"

But Lillian didn’t stop, she kicked her in the stomach and Kara could hear her ribs breaking and her breath shorten. With one last kick to the head and another cry from Lena, Kara’s vision turned black and she passed out. 

***

When Kara woke up, the first thing she felt was atrocious pain in her abdomen each time she breathed. Her head was spinning, she could feel dried blood at the back of her head and the irony taste in her mouth told her she would probably need a visit to the dentist. The next thing she registered was the sound of someone sobbing.

"Lena…"

She felt a cold hand against hers and squeezed. 

"Kara, you’re awake! How are you feeling?"

"Terrible… Where’s…"

"She’s gone, we’re alone. I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything and…"

Kara smiled at her, wincing at the pain she felt on her face. 

"It’s not your fault. Alex’s gonna come and save us… We just have to be patient."

She tried to sit but Lena wouldn’t let her so instead she put her head on Lena’s knees. The brunette’s fingers were combing her hair, bringing her some comfort. Lena tried to keep her awake, afraid she had a concussion but the cold and the pain made her body shut off. She was zoning out when she heard the door of the cell open. Lena screamed and was taken away from Kara as Lex grabbed her by the neck and pushed her against the wall. 

"What did you do, Lena?"

He hit her in the face, making her scream in pain. 

"Don’t you understand what I’m trying to do here? No one will die like dad did ever again!"

Lena was struggling to breathe as he was still holding her neck. Kara knew she had to do something. As quietly as possible, Kara got up, ignoring the pain she felt everywhere in her body. The adrenaline was stronger, she needed to help Lena. 

"Lex, these people are humans, you can’t make them subjects. It’s wrong. You used to be so good, Lex…"

"No, you’re wrong. I used to be weak."

He was about to hit her again when Kara jumped on him, freeing Lena, and hit him with all her strength. She got him in in the face and hit him again and again. So quickly that he didn’t have time to hit back. In a few seconds he was knocked out and it’s Lena who had to stop Kara. She held back her arm, putting her hand on Kara’s closed fist. 

"It’s alright, Kara. He won’t hurt us anymore."

Kara was panting as she turned around and hid her face in Lena’s tee-shirt, crying from exhaustion and pain. 

"I thought he was going to kill you…"

"But he didn’t, I’m okay. Come on, we have to get out of here."

She grabbed Lex’s gun and gave it to Kara while she took his car keys. Kara leaned on Lena to get up the stairs, hissing with each step. When they finally reached the top, they moved towards the entrance as quickly as possible. They were almost at the door when Lillian stopped them. Kara quickly pointed her gun at her but the woman just smirked. She pointed her gun to Lena’s head. 

"Drop the gun if you don’t want my dear Lena to die."

Kara gritted her teeth. "She’s your daughter."

Lillian rolled her eyes, taking the safety off.

"She’s my husband’s bastard child. Quite different. Drop, the gun."

Kara threw her gun at her and took Lena’s hand. 

"Let her go, I was the one snooping around…"

Lillian changed her position and pointed her gun at Kara. She was ready to shoot but Lena jumped in front of Kara.

"Mother! Don’t, please… Leave her alone!"

"Lena, step aside, I don’t want to kill you. I already have you trapped here anyway."

"I’d rather be dead than stay another day here!"

Lillian rolled her eyes and shot Lena in the arm, making her scream. The bullet had grazed her, nothing too serious, she had to protect Kara. She stood bigger in front of Kara. 

"Stop it, mother."

Lillian shot her leg, making her kneel. She didn’t scream this time but Kara did.

"It’s okay, Lena. I just want you to be safe…"

"No, Kara, I’ve been manipulated all my life. I’m done taking shit from her."

Kara was crying, she saw no way out, Lena was going to die and it was her fault. She was supposed to save her but she just caused her death.  
Lena squeezed her hand and smiled at her. She was ready. She was waiting for her mother to shoot but nothing came. She only heard the entrance door being kicked and someone shouting. People with guns surrounding them, dressed in black. FBI. She was lost, how did they know…

"Alex!" 

She heard Kara’s voice from behind her and turned around, collapsing next to Kara as the pain in her leg intensified. A young woman in tactical gear ran to them and kneeled next to the blonde. 

"Kara, are you okay?"

She nodded. 

"You need to get Lena to a doctor. Lex is in the basement, the patients too…"

***

Lena woke up in an unfamiliar room, way too bright for her taste and too loud. She could hear people fighting outside, she recognized one of them as Alex and started to panic. Why wasn’t she with Kara? Was she alright? She didn’t have time to panic too much because Alex entered the room. 

"How’s Kara, is she alright?"

Alex smiled softly at her, coming to the side of the bed.

"She’ll be fine, just some time on bed rest."

Lena exhaled with relief, Kara was okay, she would be fine. 

"And Claire, Daniel and…"

"Your mother had dismissed them before she first came to find you. Apparently she knew what she wanted to do with you and didn’t want any witnesses."

"And the patients, are they…"

Alex put her hand on her good arm, telling her to calm down.

"I’ll tell you everything but first, how are you feeling?"

She wanted to answer that she was fine but she had the feeling that Alex was like Kara and she couldn’t hide from her. So Lena snorted, wincing in pain at the same time. 

"Kind of a loaded question, isn’t it?"

Alex nodded with an apologetic smile.

"Let’s stick to the physical level for now."

The older woman’s voice was warm and Lena found herself trusting her, much like she had trusted Kara immediately.

"I’ve had worse… The patients, I need to know, please?"

"It will be complicated, we don’t know what your brother has given them but we hope he will cooperate…"

"Don’t count on it, he has lost his mind, he’s… he’s not Lex anymore."

Alex nodded her understanding.

"What you need to know is that we’re doing everything we can to save them and that your brother and mother will end up in prison. They can’t harm you anymore."

Lena couldn’t believe it, she was free. She was finally free.

"Can I… Could I see Kara, please?"

"She’s been asking for you. My boss didn’t want to but I suppose we don’t have a choice."

Alex helped her get on a wheelchair, getting a blanket on her legs and wheeling her to Kara’s room. She was about to enter when Alex stopped her.

"Lena… You don’t know me but thank you. You saved Kara. Without you… Without you I would have been too late."

Lena wanted to protest, to tell Alex that she was the one Kara saved and that it was her fault Kara got hurt in the first place. But the raw emotion in Alex’s voice shut her up and she could only nod. She breathed deeply and entered the room. Kara looked so small on the bed with her face bruised, her head in a bandage and a worried look. But everything disappeared the moment she saw Lena. She smiled brightly and held out her hand to her. Lena took it, her wheelchair by Kara’s side. She saw the enormous bouquet of flowers on the side of the bed and felt a pang of jealousy that she had no right to feel. 

"Who are those from?"

Kara smiled shyly. 

"Cat Grant. She said she would never give me vacation ever agin if it was to get myself killed."

Lena chuckled, shaking her head. 

"I told her I would do it all over again, for you. Never seen her roll her eyes so quickly before. She definitely want to interview you, though."

They let some seconds of silence before Kara spoke again. 

"Lena, I’m so glad you’re okay. You’re such an idiot, she… You could have died. I would have lost you…"

Her smile was full of tears, probably from relief and exhaustion. 

"I’m here, Kara. I’m okay. We’re safe, it’s over."

Kara nodded, squeezing her hand tighter. 

"I don’t know… I’m free and I can’t believe it. What do I do now that I don’t have anymore family?"

"You are not alone, Lena, we’ll figure it out."

***

Five years later: 

The recovery had been long and painful, not so much on the physical level as it had been on the psychological one. Lena had gone through hell after her mother and brother had been arrested. The trial had been long, she had had to face the media, the paparazzis and the interviews from the FBI. Though Alex had made everything in her power to make the experience less painful, the facts remained that everyone looked at her like the rest of her family. She was a Luthor and her name was now associated with human experimentation.  
Lena had gone from being invisible to being everywhere. She had been thankful for Cat Grant, who thanks to Kara, had given her the chance to really expose her side of the story, but of course it hadn’t been enough to shut the rumors and wrong ideas off. In took a few months for Lena to get access to her money, and when she did she immediately bought a penthouse in National City, near LuthorCorp and near Kara. She took control of the company, finished her degree and discovered what it was like to be independent. 

Six moths after everything, Lena made a painful decision. She asked Kara to leave her alone for a while, because she needed to really find herself and determine what she wanted to do now. Kara had been devastated, but very understanding. She promised her she would wait for her. And three months later, she received a phone call from Lena, asking her to have dinner. Everything became easier after that, how she had thought she could survive without her, she didn’t know. But she wanted to be sure that her attachment to Kara was not just because of the circumstances of being locked away in a manor for your entire life. That’s why she waited a year and a half before asking Kara on a date. Seventeen months pining after each other, Alex got tired of it and told Lena to grow a pair and ask Kara out already. Which she did. The date had been very simple, dinner and a walk under the stars that resulted in Kara kissing her. It had been like coming home after the longest journey.

More than three years later, L-Corp was doing great, Kara was a reporter and the two of them were leaving together, happier than ever. Lena couldn’t quite believe how her life had changed with Kara Danvers. She smiled as she thought about her fiancée, the proposal having been made by Kara a few months ago, and closed her laptop shut. It was six in the evening on a Friday night, the weekend, finally. She stretched and sent a quick text to Kara to tell her she was on her way home now. She exited her office, calling Robert who was now her driver. Claire had retired, Lena had made sure she would be able to live more than comfortably for the rest of her life. The others got jobs at L-Corp but Robert had wished to remain close to Lena. 

"Good evening, Robert."

The man smiled at her, making small conversation with her as they drove to her place. They were friends, a weirdly put together family, and she couldn’t be more grateful. She got up to the penthouse and opened the door, smiling when she found her fiancée sitting on the couch, with a huge book in her hands and a frown on her face. 

"I’m home."

Kara looked up at her and smiled brightly. 

"Hey babe, how was your day?"

Lena hummed, kissing Kara softly on the lips as she started telling her about her last meeting. 

"Oh and Robert and Elizabeth invited us for dinner next week."

"Great, I have to yell at Liz’, this book is really heart breaking."

Lena chuckled, taking off her shoes and putting on shorts and Kara’s NCU hoodie. She sat on the couch next to the blonde and cuddled up against her. 

"I missed you today."

Kara kissed the top of her head, putting her book aside. 

"We had lunch together."

Lena shrugged and raised her head to kiss Kara deeply on the lips. 

"Still missed you."

Kara could feel the tiredness emanating from Lena, sign that the day and probably her week had been difficult. But the weekend was here, and she could take care of her. 

"How about I run you a bath?"

"Depends, are you going in with me?"

Kara chuckled, nodding as she stood to run the bath, adding nice scented candles, soft music that never failed to help Lena relax and took a bottle of red wine with two glasses. Fifteen minutes later, the blonde went into the living room to find Lena dozing off on the couch. 

"Babe? The bath is ready?"

The brunette smiled and got up. In the bathroom she let Kara undress her slowly, taking off her sweater and her shorts, kissing her softly when she was down to her underwear. 

"Do you want to wash your hair?"

Lena hummed and nodded, throwing her arms around Kara and burying her head in the crook of her neck. She felt her chuckle at her sleepy state.

"I can’t undress you like that, Lee."

Lena groaned and took off her underwear while Kara undressed herself. She let her get in the bath before her and settled between the blonde’s legs. Kara spent twenty minutes lovingly washing Lena, combing her hair and kissing her neck softly. Lena felt so safe in her fiancée’s arms, so loved and so precious. She couldn’t be more thankful for her. 

"I love you, Kar’."

Lena was so sleepy, she closed her eyes, settling deeper in the warm water, soothed by the music. In a few seconds she was asleep, barely hearing Kara say that she loved her back. She was happy and finally living the life she had dreamt of all her life.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, hope you liked it! Please leave a comment, it's always nice to get criticism, positive or negative, I just want to know what you guys thought about this! 
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr, I'm xazera, feel free to hit me up! Xoxo, SCF :3


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